Mets Midseason Top 20 prospects for 2021

The MLB trade deadline and draft pick signing deadlines have come and gone. 

The Mets only traded away two prospects, with Matt Dyer going in the deal for Rich Hill, and in the bigger deal they traded Pete Crow-Armstrong for Javier Baez and Trevor Williams. At the trade deadline the Mets ultimately lost a non-top 20 prospect in Dyer, and Crow-Armstrong -- who would've been my seventh ranked prospect in the system.

There was plenty of excitement when the Mets drafted Kumar Rocker with the 10^th overall pick, which was a pick that I touted as a steal at the time. They had a verbal agreement of sorts for $6 million pending a physical. 

However, after bringing Rocker in for the physical, the Mets found something that they were uncomfortable with. Per SNY’s Andy Martino the team didn’t even make a lesser financial offer after the results of the physical. As compensation for not signing Rocker, the Mets will receive the 11^th pick in the 2022 MLB Draft.

Not having a couple of prospects who I ranked in the top 10 has an impact on how the farm system looks on paper, but there are definitely still prospects at the top to be very excited about. 

The Mets still need to build up the depth in the system, and that will take some time. Here is my midseason update to the top 20 prospects...

1. C Francisco Alvarez

Alvarez has had some struggles of late, but it is largely being attributed to it being his first full season in pro ball. He is still hitting the ball hard and has 13 home runs on the season. The Mets are excited with his development behind the plate, where he shows an above average arm. If I had to bet on a prospect in the organization making an All-Star team, it would be Alvarez.

MLB ETA: 2023

2. 3B Brett Baty

Baty has been the real deal at the plate, consistently barreling up balls to all fields. He has also shown advanced pitch recognition skills and tapped into his power over the last month and a half. The reviews on his third base defense are that he has made great strides over the last year with his lateral quickness. There was a question of if he could stick there, but now scouts are confident he should be able to. The Mets are also exploring some versatility by having Baty play left field a bit as well. He was recently promoted to Double-A Binghamton, where he is adjusting to the upper level pitching.

MLB ETA: 2022

3. SS Ronny Mauricio

Mauricio has tapped into his raw power in a big way this year with 14 home runs for High-A Brooklyn. The Mets have been impressed with his exit velocities and barrel rate. His long-term defensive home is still a question, and as he progresses through the system he will need to improve his plate discipline. He still has All-Star potential, but he just needs to put the whole package together on the field.

MLB ETA: 2023

4. RHP Matt Allan

Allan unfortunately underwent Tommy John surgery this season and there is a chance that he misses most of 2022 as well. But when he is healthy, this is a very polished young arm with No. 2 type of starter upside. In 2023 he will be throwing his first full professional season at just 21 years old.

MLB ETA: 2025

5. 3B Mark Vientos

Vientos struggled in May as is often seen in a transition to Double-A. But in June and July, he has been one of the best hitters in the Double-A Northeast League with an OPS of 1.182 in June and 1.008 in July. He currently leads the league in home runs with 20. He hits the ball very hard and consistently produces the highest exit velocities in the organization. Vientos has played a bit of third base, left field, and first base. This is a pretty unique bat profile that the Mets are simply trying to find the best defensive home for.

MLB ETA: 2022

6. RHP J.T. Ginn

Ginn was recently promoted to High-A Brooklyn and through two starts has a 2.53 ERA in 10.2 innings with 11 strikeouts and no walks. He appears fully healthy off of Tommy John surgery and is just in the process of building up his velocity. He is right now sitting 91-93 on his sinker, but when he is right, he’s 93-95 mph and will touch 97 mph. His slider looks all the way back, a sharp breaker that is his primary swing-and-miss pitch. He needs work on his changeup, but you see him throwing it which is a good sign.

MLB ETA: 2023

7. OF Khalil Lee

Lee was called up to the big leagues earlier this season out of necessity before he was ready. Since moving back down to Triple-A, he has shown great pitch recognition skills with an on-base percentage of .444. He has above average raw power that hasn’t fully translated into games yet and above average speed on the base paths. Defensively, he can play all three outfield spots with a plus arm. If he can make more consistent contact, he is a potential starting outfielder. If he cannot improve that he should be a valuable fourth outfielder.

MLB ETA: 2021

8. OF Alex Ramirez

Ramirez was signed for $2.05 million in 2019 as the prize of the Mets' international signing class that year. If there is a prospect in the system with the potential for all five tools, it is Ramirez. He is very raw, but a complete toolshed. At 18 years old he is in full season ball with Low-A St. Lucie and holding his own. He has some swing and miss to his game right now, but the Mets are confident he will adjust as he continues through the minor league system.

MLB ETA: 2024

9. RHP Tylor Megill

Let’s give Megill the love he deserves. Perhaps he is a guy that I even underrated coming into the season, where I looked at him more as a bullpen projection. In the minors he really only threw two pitches -- his fastball and slider. He has shown an above average changeup at times, having taken advice on a grip change suggested by pitching coach Jeremy Hefner. He has even snapped off some solid curveballs, too. He isn’t Jacob deGrom, but maybe Megill is the next late round steal for the Mets.

MLB ETA: Currently there!

10. RHP Robert Dominguez

With Dominguez, the Mets believe they got the best arm in the 2019 international free agent class. He recently made his stateside debut at the Florida Complex League where he has reportedly hit 98 mph on his fastball. And his slider, while still a bit inconsistent, flashes above average. He needs work on his changeup and command. If he is able to put it all together, he has sky high upside, but the range of outcomes is really wide here.

MLB ETA: 2024

11. RHP Calvin Ziegler

Ziegler was the Mets' second round pick this year from the TNXL Academy in Florida by way of Canada. He is still a raw prospect with less experience than some other arms, but you cannot teach his arm talent and ability to spin a baseball. He has a fastball that will touch 97 mph with 100 percent spin efficiency. He also shows plus spin rates on his curveball with a lagging behind changeup that is common for young prospects. He will need to sharpen his command as it comes and goes, but the Mets said post-draft that Ziegler was one of the best prep pitchers they saw this year.

MLB ETA: 2025

12. INF Jaylen Palmer

Palmer went to high school in Flushing, so he has the local ties fans like to root for. He is a premium athlete who has stolen 23 bases and played second base, third base, center field and right field for Low-A St. Lucie before being promoted to High-A Brooklyn. He had a big July, slashing .319/.387/.489 in 25 games. He is a versatile athlete who has a chance to be a regular if his consistency at the plate can improve.

MLB ETA: 2024

13. INF/OF Carlos Cortes

Cortes is a natural hitter packed into a 5'7", 195-pound frame. He has a big effort swing that leans power over contact and has produced 23 doubles and 13 home runs in 66 games in Double-A Binghamton. He is ambidextrous, throwing left-handed from the outfield and right-handed from the infield. However, the Mets have played Cortes exclusively in the outfield in 2021. It will be interesting to see if they end up giving him reps in the infield again. Cortes could end up a power bat off the bench who can play a couple of different defensive positions.

MLB ETA: 2022

14. RHP Junior Santos

Santos is listed at 6’8” and 220 pounds and still needs work on repeating his delivery. But he has a fastball that hits 95 and is transitioning from a slider to a curveball, where he shows an ability to spin the ball. His changeup needs a ton of work, but Santos is known as a hard worker so he will maximize what he can become. I project Santos as a potential future reliever who should be able to use his height to his advantage.

MLB ETA: 2024

15. RHP Dominic Hamel

The Mets selected Hamel in the third round this year out of Dallas Baptist, where he was described to me as a spin-rate monster. He shows plus spin rates on his fastball that will touch 96 and a low-80s slider. Hamel gets good movement on his changeup, but needs more consistency with that pitch. If he puts it all together, he could be a No. 4 type of starter. If he only ends up with a reliable two-pitch-mix, he could be a multi-inning reliever.

MLB ETA: 2024

16. RHP Jose Butto

Butto might only have the profile of a back-end starter, but he is up to 96 mph on his fastball and has a plus changeup. His breaking ball is a bit of work in progress, but he throws strikes -- as evidenced by his 2.2 BB/9 rate -- and misses bats with 10 K/9. He should be considered a rotation depth option as soon as 2022.

MLB ETA: 2022

17. LHP Thomas Szapucki

Szapucki had an inconsistent year in Triple-A and struggled in his first taste of big league action. He is now on the injured list due to nerve transposition surgery. I believe Szapucki’s future is in the bullpen if he can get healthy. His fastball in shorter spurts might have a chance to touch 95 mph and he can really break off a curveball with above average spin rates.

MLB ETA: 2021

18. LHP Josh Walker

Walker was the Mets' 37^th-round pick in the 2017 MLB Draft out of the University of New Haven. He has pitched at three levels this year and now with Triple-A Syracuse, where he took a no-hitter into the eighth inning in his most recent start. He does not have elite stuff, but he locates a three-pitch mix headed by a 90-93 mph fastball. He could potentially be a No. 5 starter or long reliever.

MLB ETA: 2022

19. 1B J.T. Schwartz

The Mets selected Schwartz in the fourth round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of UCLA, where he received All American honors. Schwartz is a pure hitter with an advanced knowledge of the strike zone where he walked (37) more than he struck out (28). He tapped into more power this year, but will need to continue to do so to profile at first base. You have to wonder if the Mets will have him try out left field at some point in his development path.

MLB ETA: 2024

20. OF Jake Mangum

Mangum has had a bit of an up-and-down offensive year in Double-A Binghamton. He profiles as a potential fourth outfielder with flexibility to play all three outfield spots and provides above average speed on the base paths. He also has that grinder mentality that you need coming off the bench.

MLB ETA: 2022